Justin M Millar

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Kent and Convoy was taken at blue hour on the first night that the “Freedom Convoy 2022” arrived in Ottawa, Ontario. A view of Kent St from above, these vehicles occupied the street for the following 3 weeks creating an almost unlivable environment which left Ottawa residents feeling trapped by this occupation. Although at first glance the image holds an aesthetic stillness, many are reminded of the truck horns at all hours, exhaust fumes, harassment towards people wearing masks, fireworks in the streets, businesses closed, hate crimes against the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and many more. The cross section of two streets in the composition suggests a polarizing divide amongst Canadian citizens.

Image opposite : Kent & Convoy

Lori Marble

ARTIST STATEMENT:

The year before the pandemic I underwent surgery to implant a deep brain stimulator (DBS) to treat hemi-dystonia on my left side. The main “ask” of the surgeon was ‘don’t get sick’. So, for the next month, predominantly right handed, I stayed from daylight to dark in my studio, teaching myself to paint using my left hand, testing and stretching the limits of how this device impacts my work. In short order, the pandemic slid in and once again I found myself spending a great deal of time in my studio, in front of the large windows overlooking my raised flower beds, watching the light shift from golden to the blue hour. I still paint left-handed and much of my inspiration comes from the changing light outside my window.

Image opposite : Twilight Garden

Jeanne Marklin

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Winter brings a blue light to dusk in New England. The trees in my yard have become strong sentinels, making me feel safe. In turn, I care for the trees to keep them healthy for the next generation.

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Image : The World Turned Upside Down